Ideas for a Hillside Shady Garden of Flowers and Shrubbery

Deciduous Shrubs

• Deciduous shrubs lose their leaves over winter, but many compensate with brilliant fall color, wildlife-attracting fruits or showy blooms. Choices for a slope include alder buckthorn (Rhamnus fragula), a 10- to 12-foot tall and wide shrub that grows in partial shade. The shrub's foliage is offset by green, spring flowers and red-purple berries. The alder buckthorn is hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) plant hardiness zones 3 through 7. If you want flowers, fruits and fall color on your shady slope, plant a common snowberry (Symphoricarpos albus). This versatile shrub tolerates shade, a range of soil types and grows to 6 feet tall. Hardy in USDA zones 3 through 7, the snowberry produces pink flowers in summer followed by colorful fall foliage and long-lasting white fruits.

Evergreen Shrubs

• Evergreen shrubs keep their foliage year-round. Add fragrance to your lightly shaded, hilly site with rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis). This evergreen shrub reaches heights of 4 feet and is hardy in USDA zones 7 through 8, where it grows well in light shade. In winter, rosemary blooms, the blue flowers atop aromatic, edible foliage. In deeper shade, plant a Japanese yew (Taxus cuspidata). This slope-friendly shrub grows up to 6 feet tall and bears red fruits in winter. Hardy in USDA zones 4 to 7, the slow-growing evergreen thrives in well-draining soil.

Perennials

• Perennials come back year after year. Selections for a shady, sloped site include hostas (Hosta spp.). These shade-tolerant perennials are hardy in USDA zones 3 through 9 and grow best in moist, well-draining soil. Hostas bloom in summer and grow in a range of shapes, sizes and colors, from the "Blue Angel" cultivar (Hosta "Blue Angel") with its 18-inch, blue-green foliage to "Aspen Gold" (Hosta "Aspen Gold"), which has yellow, wrinkly foliage. If you prefer long-lasting color on the hill, plant Johnny jump-ups (Viola tricolor). These 6-inch tall, short-lived perennials that reseed themselves bloom from spring through fall in shades of purple, yellow and white. They're hardy in USDA zones 3 through 9 and grow well in a moist, well-draining site in partial shade.

Flowering Ground-Covers

• Flowering ground-covers spread wider than they grow tall. Deadnettle (Lamium maculatum) is a perennial ground-cover that blooms from spring through summer with white, pink and lilac flowers, depending on cultivar. Hardy in USDA zones 5 through 8, deadnettle performs best in partial to full shade and reaches a height up to 12 inches. Creeping myrtle or common periwinkle (Vinca minor) also grows well on slopes. Hardy in USDA zones 4 through 9, this spreading evergreen blooms with a profusion of blue, star-shaped flowers in spring. Creeping myrtle tolerates hilly sites, deep shade and dry to moist soil. This ground-cover can spread aggressively if left to grow unchecked, however; it is reported invasive in many U.S. states, according to the USDA Forest Service's website.